Letter 59: Chrysostom rebukes Theodotus's silence and forgives it if he writes frequently from now on.

You quickly forgot us. Your separation from us was very painful, and your long silence has added despondency to that pain. You cannot even take refuge in lack of time, for the number of days was enough to give a traveler plenty of ease for the return. Nor would we tolerate your putting forward the Isaurian troubles as an excuse, since we love you very much. Since you left, many people from there have come here. What, then, is the cause of the silence? Sluggishness and indolence. Nevertheless, we forgive the charges for your previous neglect, if you are willing from now on to correct the oversight by frequent letters. You know how much you will please us by continually writing to us about your health.

ΝΘʹ. Θεοδότῳ διακόνῳ. Ταχέως ἡμῶν ἐπελάθου, τῷ χωρισμῷ σου σφόδρα λυπηρῷ ἡμῖν γεγενημένῳ καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς σιγῆς τῆς μακρᾶς προσθεὶς ἀθυμίαν. Καὶ οὐδὲ εἰς χρόνου στενοχωρίαν ἔχεις καταφυγεῖν· ἱκανὸν γὰρ τῶν ἡμερῶν τὸ πλῆθος πολλὴν ὁδοιπόρῳ παρασχεῖν εὐκολίαν πρὸς ἐπάνοδον. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὰ Ἰσαυρικὰ προβαλλομένου ἀνασχοίμεθα ἂν, ἐπειδὴ σφόδρα σε φιλοῦμεν. Καὶ γὰρ πολλοὶ οἱ ἐκεῖθεν μετὰ τὴν σὴν ἀποδημίαν ἐνταῦθα παραγενόμενοι. Τί οὖν ἐστι τῆς σιγῆς τὸ αἴτιον; Ὄκνος καὶ ῥᾳθυμία. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀφίεμέν σε τῶν ἐπὶ τῇ προτέρᾳ ὀλιγωρίᾳ ἐγκλημάτων, ἂν βουληθῇς εἰς τὸ ἐπιὸν τῇ πυκνότητι τῶν γραμμάτων διορθῶσαι τὸ παροφθέν. Οἶσθα γὰρ ὅπως ἡμῖν χαριῇ, συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλων τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς.